This is characteristic of a fungal nail infection. Yellowing and thickening usually start at the tip, becoming soft and crumbly and harder to cut. Over weeks it can spread to the rest of the nail, replacing the healthy pink parts and causing it to lift off. Eventually, over the course of a few months, the whole infected nail may come off. People are usually bothered by the appearance, and only notice when summer announces itself and the flip flops come out, after a winter of feet in warm sweaty socks and shoes. It can occasionally cause swelling and pain. Tinea unguium, the medical term for fungal nail infection, is more common in the toenails than fingernails. It can affect one nail or several, usually on the same hand or foot, and can eventually spread to the other foot.

A cough is the body’s natural way of responding to irritation in your respiratory tract, causing muscles in the airways to contract and push out any irritant or infection in a burst of air. Your airways are lined with cells that produce mucus, which helps remove dust, bacteria, viruses, and other debris. When you get a chest infection, your body produces more mucus than normal as it tries to remove the virus or bacteria. The excess mucus, known as phlegm or sputum, causes you to cough more frequently and forcefully – phlegm is then brought up and spat out or swallowed, destroying the pathogen and helping you recover. We call this a productive cough. Most chest infections and productive coughs are caused by viruses rather than bacteria. As antibiotics only work on bacterial infections, this means that they won’t have any effect on most chest infections.

A sore throat is a pain, scratchiness or irritation of the throat that often worsens when your child swallows. It may come out of the blue if they’re fighting a viral or bacterial infection, and they may also experience cold symptoms like a runny or blocked nose, sneezing, a fever, coughing, headache, and they may complain of pain on swallowing. You might be able to feel the glands in their neck are enlarged and these can feel quite tender to touch. If you look in the back of their throat, you might see one or both tonsils are large and red, causing the gap between them to reduce, and you may notice some white spots on the tonsils.

Coughs can prove to be quite bothersome. Typically stemming from viral or bacterial infections, new coughs can often be effectively managed at home without needing a doctor's visit. Where to start? Starting small by taking it easy, getting good amounts of sleep, and ensuring that you are eating and hydrated well will help. You can also try some simple over-the-counter treatments to help with your symptoms. Healthwords pharmacists have put together some of our favourite medications that can be purchased over the counter to help with a productive cough.

Phlegm is also known as mucus and it is produced by your lungs to line the airways and protect them from foreign substances. It also provides moisture which helps to trap irritants and remove them from the body. In certain situations, your body might increase the production of mucus, for example, when you have an allergy or an infection, and that might cause you unpleasant symptoms. When you cough up phlegm from the lungs or back of the throat, it's often referred to as sputum. Looking at your phlegm or sputum can give you a lot of information about what could be causing your symptoms.

Experiencing a blocked nose at night can be incredibly disruptive, leading to restless sleep, frequent waking, and even daytime fatigue. Many people find that their nasal congestion worsens when they lie down, making breathing difficult through the nose and contributing to poor sleep quality. Understanding the underlying causes of nighttime nasal congestion is crucial in finding relief and improving overall well-being.

Sweating normally occurs at night when the room, environment or bedding may be making you hot. Night sweats occur when you sweat excessively at night despite the surrounding environment being cool. In this case, it's likely that you will need to change nightwear and sheets, as they are soaked through. Persistent night sweats can be a sign of serious health conditions and should be checked with your doctor if they occur.

Symptoms of COVID-19 have changed as the virus has evolved into different strains, and as the population has mostly become vaccinated. Those infected with the current most common strain, Omicron, are more likely to have milder symptoms of a cold or flu. This is especially true if you are fully vaccinated. You are likely to feel unwell for a few days but will be able to fight it off, especially if you are young, fit and in good health usually. That said, no one enjoys the flu or even a cold very much, so let’s take you through some simple measures to help you feel better.

Maskne is a new phenomenon coined in the COVID-19 pandemic to describe the acne experienced around the nose, upper lip and chin area in a response to regularly wearing a mask. Mask-provoked acne is new to the general public, anyway, but has long been experienced by medical and construction workers. The causes of these pimples, or whiteheads, are two-fold: the first is the physical barrier they provide, which causes pores to become blocked with the dead skin cells we shed all the time, so-called acne mechanica. A bacteria associated with acne, called P. Acnes, causes inflammation in blocked pores and sebaceous (oil-forming) glands, and in addition to the physical friction, masks also provide a warm, moist environment for P. Acnes to grow and multiply, thus further inflaming the spots, and even causing deep spots, called cysts.

High temperature, fever, chills, or any other name you give it, is a sure sign that your body's immune system is at work trying to fight something off. Common causes of a high temperature include viral or bacterial infections, but there are many others. You will usually feel unwell, with a fever, and may swing between feeling cold and shivery, getting under the duvet, and burning up and feeling hot and sweaty. You may have a hot head, chest or back when you put a hand to it. High risk symptoms (Red flag): seek urgent help / call 999 or go to A&E These signs suggest a serious or life-threatening illness: New confusion, agitation, or reduced consciousness Breathing problems: severe shortness of breath, rapid breathing, chest pain Blue, pale, grey or mottled skin, lips or tongue Non-blanching rash (does not fade when pressed) Severe headache with stiff neck or sensitivity to light Seizure (fit) Persistent vomiting or inability to keep fluids down Signs of sepsis: very unwell, shivering, muscle pain, slurred speech, passing little or no urine Fever with collapse or fainting Fever in someone who is severely immunocompromised (e.g. chemotherapy, high-dose steroids) Call 999 or go to A&E immediately. Moderate risk symptoms (Amber): seek urgent medical advice the same day These symptoms need assessment but are not immediately life-threatening: Fever lasting more than 5 days Fever with worsening pain, rigours (intense shivering), or feeling very unwell New confusion that is mild or fluctuating Persistent cough, breathlessness without severe distress Vomiting or diarrhoea with signs of dehydration Pain when passing urine or lower abdominal pain Fever with a known chronic condition (heart, lung, kidney disease, diabetes) Fever after recent surgery, injury, or travel Contact your GP, urgent care, or NHS 111 the same day. Low risk (Green): monitor at home These features usually suggest a mild infection, often viral: Feeling generally unwell but alert and responsive Mild to moderate fever for a short time Normal breathing and skin colour Able to drink fluids and pass urine normally Symptoms improving with rest, fluids, and simple pain relief Manage at home. Rest, drink plenty of fluids, avoid over-wrapping, and monitor symptoms. Seek advice if things worsen.

A stomach bug causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It's medically known as gastroenteritis, and referred to as food poisoning, if there is a particular meal in the frame. The diarrhoea mostly resolves within 5 to 7 days and the vomiting in 2 to 3 days.  Symptoms associated with a stomach bug include diarrhoea, stomach pain and cramps, nausea, vomiting, and they may have a mild fever or a headache. Generally children and babies feel fairly well with a stomach bug - they will still want to play and be their usual self, and they may keep their appetite, so trust your instincts if they appear unwell.

A cough is the body’s natural way of responding to irritation in your respiratory tract. When specialised sensors in your airways detect an irritant such as smoke, dust or pollution, it triggers a cough reflex that causes the muscles in your airways to contract and pushes a burst of air out through your airways in an attempt to remove the cause of the irritation – this is a cough. A dry cough is when you cough without bringing up any mucous or phlegm and can be irritating for your throat. It is a very common type of cough that can be caused by an infection, asthma, environmental irritant or irritation caused by acid reflux. It may also be a side effect of certain medications such as ACE inhibitors, used to treat high blood pressure. A constant dry cough is the result of your cough reflex becoming more sensitive than usual.